Martinsburg native Lopez featured in Rolling Stone

David Craft

Staff writer

dcraft@journal-news.net

Christian Lopez in his shoot for Rolling Stone.

MARTINSBURG — Martinsburg native Christian Lopez had one of many breakout moments in his music career when he was featured as a “Top 10 County Artists You Need to Know” in Rolling Stone Magazine on Tuesday.

Lopez, a 21-year-old musician who grew up in Martinsburg, has taken his talents across the country after releasing his first album in 2015 titled “Onward.” Since then, Lopez has toured the country; signed with Blaster Records, an independent label out of Nashville, Tennessee; and is releasing his second album titled “Red Arrow” on Sept. 22.

Lopez was recently featured in Rolling Stone as a country artist to watch out for, describing him as “an Americana-Pop hybrid shaped by the rootsiness and history of West Virginia.” Lopez has also worked with two of the most respected producers in the business — Dave Cobb and Marshall Altman — who have worked with country stars like Chris Stapleton and Will Hoge.

“Working with those kind of people is motivating. You really need to step up and give everything you can,” Lopez said. “When you work with those people it makes you better, and it’s an honor. Not only is it beneficial for me, it’s exciting.”

Although Lopez is focused on bringing his music to bigger and better stages throughout his career, he still credits his small town roots as his inspiration.

“When I started my career, it was basically just going to the open-mics and coffee shops,” Lopez said. “You know, honestly, I was inspired by a lot of the people around here, a lot of my friends and a lot of the front-porch guys.”

The country star also credits his parents’ diverse music choices and exposure for his genre-breaking music.

“Classic country music — it’s what my dad showed me, and that mixed with classic rock as a kid was when I realized music is what I would do,” Lopez said. “A good mixture of my dad’s hand-me-down record collection and just the local pickers inspired me.”

Lopez recalls when his dad handed down his hair metal collection, while his mother was an opera singer who placed Lopez in classical piano classes throughout his childhood.

“When you love everything, and all the kinds of music, it’s hard to place yourself in one kind of genre,” Lopez said. “What I do is I make the music I love and I let others classify me, but I can’t classify myself and I’m cool with that.”

Lopez also addressed the difficulty many artists face in finding a breakout moment, especially if an artist comes from a small town similar to the one in which he grew up.

“It just comes down to how hard you want to work. If you’re willing to put in the time and find the right people to surround yourself with, they will help you get to that next level,” Lopez said. “That struggle and that grind to get to the next level is what makes or breaks a lot of artists and that’s sad, but it’s just about pushing through that.”

Lopez offered advice to any artist who is struggling with identity or making it in the music business.

“First and foremost, don’t change who you are. Be yourself and make the music you want to make,” Lopez said. “Secondly, don’t listen to what anybody has to say, don’t let anybody (give you a hard time). Work harder than anybody else, say yes to every show and opportunity and eventually you will get to the point where you can do what’s best for you. You have to build your perseverance and make sure your drive is full throttle.”

Lopez also expressed his excitement for his new record “Red Arrow” and the touring that will be involved with it.

“I’ve only put out one record in the past and I feel like this is my best work — I’m pumped. It’s an exciting process for an artist,” Lopez said. “We have a great band, we’re touring a lot and it’s just nice to give the people something new after two and a half years.”

Lopez will also be announcing today his debut album show that will be taking place right here in the Eastern Panhandle.

Lopez hasn’t performed in Martinsburg since his first album came out in 2015, but will be performing at the Shenandoah Hotel on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. the day after the album releases.

According to Lopez, the show will have a 600-person cap room.

“We want the rooms to get bigger and the crowds to get better,” Lopez said about his future plans. “We have the right band, the right record and the right team, and I think it’s going to be great.”